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The Prince of Darkness and Real Estate

In 2002, MTV debuted The Osbournes, the show which started the current reality TV craze (although PBS actually had the first reality show with the Loud family.) The cameras followed the antics of the wild heavy-metal musician Ozzy Osbourne and his family at their Beverly Hills home. Although they lived in America, the Osbournes are from England which account for their distinctive English accents. Ozzy is a bona fide crazy man and throughout the long MTV series he was addicted to alcohol and drugs and could barely talk. Still, the show was a huge hit and since then, his wife Sharon and daughter Kelly have gone on and become even bigger celebrities than the Oz man.

I used to tune in every week not so much to watch the family as to gawk at their house. Their lives revolved around the most incredible kitchen/family room where they spent much of their time, along with a pack of 12 tiny dogs that were forever in need of house training. The kitchen was English styled with a large dose of Shabby Chic – it was warm and cozy and friendly, all hallmarks of what a room should be. The audience was awed to think that the Prince of Darkness, who once bit off the head of a bat in concert, actually spent his time in a room filled with chintz, wicker, terra cotta floors and a large assortment of antiques. Sharon, it surprisingly turned out, had great taste.

After the reality show ended, the Beverly Hills house was sold to singer Christina Aquilera who completely redecorated it and turned it into a total mess. She just recently sold the house herself after it being on the market for two years. I’m sure the new owners have plans to totally gut all her décor. Meanwhile, the Osbournes moved on to Hidden Hills – in Calabasas, a suburb northwest of L.A. that today is a haven for the younger set like Justin Bieber and reality TV stars like the Kardashians.

The Osbournes didn’t stay put long. Ozzy and Sharon put the Hidden Hills house up for sale in 2011, then lowered the price, then tried to rent it out, then took it off the market, then put it back on the market once again. Last month they finally sold it to another singer and early MTV reality show star Jessica Simpson and her boyfriend and infant daughter. Rumors are now swirling that Ozzy and Sharon are separated, which Ozzy denied when he recently held a press conference to confess he was off the wagon again. Apparently they are now living apart, but I’m sure they will reconcile in the end.

The Hidden Hills house is pretty enough, though not quite as special as the Beverly Hills one was. Still, the famed Bravo star and designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard decorated it and it was shown in Architectural Digest. Of course, those heavily edited photos make the décor look so much prettier than it truly is. So, again, it’s a lesson in how to take professional photographs of a house to make it look chic enough to grace the pages of a design magazine, compared to the true photographs that show up in the real estate brochures.

Enjoy!!!

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, before and after. Sharon is now a star herself – appearing on her own TV show, as well as being a celebrity judge. Over the years she has battled cancer and gone under the plastic surgeon’s knife numerous times, as has Ozzy himself. She does look much better now I must say!

Sharon’s father was a promoter in England who once represented Ozzy. Sharon took over that role from him and became the brains behind the man – she was once considered the most powerful woman in the rock n roll business.

The Osbournes’ English country estate, Welders House, in Buckinghamshire

Welders House is hidden behind a tall brick fence along a shady lane. The house is a Grade II listed mansion built in 1898. You are not allowed to make any structural changes to a listed building without permission. A few years ago Ozzy applied for such permission to add a conservatory to the property. Sharon is going to be on English TV soon, so I assume she’ll be spending a lot of time at Welders House again.

The Beverly Hills mansion where the reality show was filmed. Christina Aguilera bought it from the Osbournes after their TV show ended. Last month Christina sold the 10,000 sq. ft. house for around $13,500,000.

The front hall was decorated in the then popular Tuscany style of the early 2000s. The large oval mirror in the back is used by Martyn Lawrence Bullard in his current design for the Hidden Hills house.

And here is the same entry hall – how it looks today, as designed for Christina Aguilera. I kid you not. Is there anything more hideous? I’m in shock. She actually hired an interior designer duo that are quite well known and popular. For their sakes, I won’t name them.

The living room with portieres on both sides of the doorway continues the Tuscany style. Most of this furniture is reused in their new house.

The famous kitchen and family room. Shabby Chic meets English country home. At the back left below the arch is the large range. Notice the antique ironstone collection along the top of the cabinetry. Sharon is the consummate consumer. Here the wicker sofa and chairs are decorated in Shabby Chic fabrics. This decor changed almost every TV season. All of these chandeliers are now installed in the kitchen of the Hidden Hills house. The style of this kitchen was so surprising to Ozzy’s head-banging music fans. No one imagined the “Prince of Darkness” actually lived in such a pretty, decorated house. Most of the series was filmed in this room, as the family spent a majority of their time here. This kitchen is probably 2nd in popularity to the Something’s Gotta Give kitchen!

Here, the wicker sofa was changed out for an antique green painted wooden bench with chintz and ticking stripes, along with matching curtains. A rarely seen dhurri rug – because of their 12 dogs, Sharon prefers bare floors. Architectural Digest even ran an article on their website about Sharon’s tips on how to decorate around dogs. HERE.

And here, a brown wicker sofa with chintz fabric. Just ignore Ozzy!! It was hard to find these old photographs of the house!

Today, that gorgeous kitchen looks like this. Ruined. Hopefully the new owners will be able to salvage what is underneath all this mess. At least the cabinetry still stands. I'm surprised they left the terra cotta tiled floor.

The Osbourne’s master bedroom with its three crystal chandeliers was Tuscany meets Shabby Chic – with an antique sofa and slipcovered chairs. The back wall was a painted mural. I really still like this room. The three chandeliers are a bit much as is the mural, but there is something so pretty about the room. This room was redecorated after the TV show. While filming, it didn’t look like this.

This is the same bedroom today – when Christina Aguilera redecorated it. The bed was placed on a platform. Just terrible. Beyond awful! Bleach for the eyes, anyone?

The Tuscany meets Shabby Chic look continued into the master bathroom with more chandeliers. Sharon had a marble sink with a fabric skirt.

The back yard was a beautiful and magical area with its hidden, lagoon type pool.

Today the Beverly Hills house does look dated – with its lavish Tuscan style interiors. But over ten years ago, a generation of younger MTV viewers were enthralled with Sharon’s style – which was so different from Ozzy’s goth, heavy metal image.

A few years after the show ended, the Osbournes moved to a gated community in Hidden Hills in Calabasas where Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, and the Kardashians live, along with many other stars.

The house is noted for the family room that resembles a barn, along with breathtaking views of the hills. Architectural Digest published the house and it was also shown in Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s new design book.

The 11,000 sq. ft. house is Cape Cod inspired with over 6 bedrooms and a guest apartment – located on 2.25 acres. There is a slate roof, shingle façade, stone fireplaces, and covered porches.

The back overlooks the mountains. The barn like room on the left hosts the master bedroom upstairs and the curved wall in the center is where the stairs are. There is a covered porch at the right.

Same view, daytime.

Mountain view.

View at dusk.

Outdoor patio with fireplace. Love this!!

Now, let’s compare the real house with the Architectural Digest house!

AD: The foyer looks so pretty with two French porter chairs and the antique round table that came from the Beverly Hills house. While the stairs and window are way too contemporary for the style of the house, the way this room is cropped in this picture it looks quite nice, especially with the chairs and table to tone down the starkness of the stairs. Cropping is the key.

Real Estate Pictures: In reality, the French chairs were brought in from another room for the AD photoshoot, of course. The table is theirs, as is the white overgrown throne chair. If the stairs and walls weren’t painted in dark colors, it would be so much prettier.

REAL ESTATE: And the entire entry hall. I wonder if Martyn bought those two mirrors? I can’t believe he did. You can see the porter chair through the door. Compared to the AD picture of the entryway, this is really not nearly as attractive.

Real Estate: Both AD and Martyn don’t show the living room at all. This room is furnished with all the old Beverly Hills pieces. With the red walls and the overstuffed arms and trim on the sofas, the décor is very dated. With a bit of new fabric and paint, the room could be very pretty.

Real Estate: And another room totally avoided by both AD and Martyn is Ozzy’s paneled office. The room is quite pretty, even with the décor.

AD: The dining room is a real showstopper. Martyn designed the room and included new chairs and table he designed himself – love it. The chandelier is incredible – and antique. I love this room, with its silk papered walls by de Gournay and bleached hardwoods. Love the leather and striped silk on the back of the chairs. Just beautiful.

AD: A cropped picture of the buffet and beautiful Venetian mirror. I love the styling with the branches – so ethereal looking. Very pretty. Photography by Roger Davies for AD.

AD: And an edited shot of the mantel with a collection of cross topped bottles.’

And from Martyn’s book – a cropped shot, which is so pretty. You can see a Swedish demilune against the wall. Martyn brought that in for the photoshoot – it adds the perfect touch – with the light floors. The wallpaper is de Gournay. Pretty styling on the table with a few of the bottles and flowers. Martyn’s photographs are by the uber talented Tim Street Porter.

Martyn: This photograph is beautiful – highlighting Sharon’s collection of cross topped bottles. Notice how Street Porter gets in a few of the purple crystals from the chandelier.

Martyn: and a closeup of the Swedish demi lune – what a pretty picture, like a painting. Just a hint of the arm of the chair paint and nailheads. The only object that fits in the picture completely is the painting. Notice everything else is just cropped out slightly. Interesting.

Real Estate: it’s almost hard to ruin this pretty room. Here, we see furniture that Martyn chose not show. And that blue doily! Ruins it all. Still, the room is beautiful.

Real Estate: and another view that Martyn and AD chose not to show. The oval mirror is really dramatic – it came from the Beverly Hills house. Comparing the three different photoshoots – AD blew out the color, Martyn’s are like art, and the real estate ones are the most realistic, yet the least satisfying. Just showing a large room without editing the view – which you have to do with real estate pictures – just doesn’t make as pretty a picture.

AD: The family room is fabulous – the vintage barn doors which lead to the kitchen are amazing. I love this room!!!!! Martyn’s own furniture designs fill the space, but the doors are old and salvaged. Modern lights from Ralph Lauren.

AD: blown out pictures again – it’s hard to tell the real light here. The covered stone porch is reached through the doors. Large antique clock and Sharon’s doll collection add wonderful touches.

Martyn: Peter Dunham pillow fabric. Here, Martyn added French chairs. Not sure why he didn’t photograph his own leather chairs – perhaps they hadn’t arrived in time? Notice the green beaded lights on the ceilings. This is my favorite room in the house – it’s incredible. Those doors are to die for! Martyn had them painted blue, of course.

Real Estate: no styling of course, and no editing. Not a good photograph, but you can see the doors really do look fabulous. Also, the clock adds so much to the room.

Real Estate: This view shows there’s a blue wall where the television is and a slip covered white chair which surprised me that Martyn would add that. I doubt he did. I also like the “news” sign.

AD: The kitchen off the blue family room picks up the same colors, adding in red. Love the bar stools. Sharon really likes those Victorian light fixtures. These came from the Beverly Hills house.

Real Estate: This photograph shows more of the kitchen and it’s a pretty good picture. The kitchen is charming with its Americana touches, but not quite as charming as the Beverly Hills house with the English/Shabby Chic décor. Gone are all her white ironstone pieces!! I miss those. But I do like the kitchen – notice the a/c grills at the bottom of the cabinets.

AD: The breakfast room. Not sure if Martyn designed the kitchen and breakfast room. But this décor fits the style of the house with its Cape Cop façade.

Real Estate: The same chandelier from the breakfast room in the Beverly Hills home. What a view!!!

AD: Sharon’s office is filed with important photographs. White slipcovered sofas for the 12 dogs and Farrow and Ball wallpaper. Another tightly cropped shot for AD.

Martyn designed this room – adding a vintage original Jansen mirrored desk, which is gorgeous.

Martyn: His photograph is basically the same as ADs, though again Street Porter crops out the edges of the items in the photographs. I need to remember that trick.

Martyn: Street Porter’s shot of the desk. Interesting how both photographers chose not to show the entire desk.

Real Estate: quite a different feel. Sharon has added white throws on the sofa for the dogs – I do the same thing myself, but my throws are loose, not tucked in like that. The beautiful Jansen desk is ruined by the chairs. And that lamp? Martyn didn’t add that. I think the room needs a rug, but what do I know? I wish we could see the doors on the right side of the room – they look so interesting!!

Real estate: The bathroom – this is beautiful with beautiful fixtures. Love the marble subway tile.

AD: The master bedroom – the AD photograph’s color is too vivid. I wonder if they changed the color in photoshop? Martyn designed this room and it’s very similar in tone to the dining room. Love the painted green desk on the right. On the left – AD brought that desk in. The lamps are beautiful too.

AD: a beautiful shot of the chaise and the oval windows. Love the de Gournay wallpaper in here – weeping willow trees. Love the striped silk curtains.

Martyn: Here is his photograph of the bedroom. Again Street Porter edits out the edges of the furniture. The desk is replaced with a French baker’s table – perhaps the other table had not arrived yet? And, a gorgeous piece of lace covers the bed. Love the aqua velvet pillow. Pale striped lilac silk dust ruffle. The bedding is gorgeous here. Perhaps they made another spread for the dogs to lie on?

Real Estate: Here you can see the entire room – with its beautiful painted floor and wallpaper. Again, I miss a rug here. In his book, Martyn says the television comes out from the bottom of the bed and rotates up. I would love to see that! He also says the bed is an homage of the mirrored bed that Bunny Williams owns.

Real estate: View off the balcony of the hills.

AD: The sitting room off the bedroom has the same feel with the purple and lilac.

Martyn: Street Porter’s photograph is as usual, very pretty. But what is that Shabby Chic chair doing here? The only thing I can think of is they photographed the house before all the furniture had arrived.

Real Estate: And the real room – with the vanity on the left. It doesn’t look much different from the other more professional pictures. The floors are really beautiful.

AD: Sharon’s master bathroom looks beautiful here. As with all their other photographs, the coloring is not right. The room almost looks silver and black.

Real estate photograph – here you can see what the true colors of the room are.

And the other side of the room really shows what it looks like. Where’s the clam shell?

And that’s all for the Osbourne’s last house. I can’t wait to see where they end up next and wonder if Martyn Lawrence Bullard will again by hired by Sharon. When the house was first put on the market a few years ago, it was rumored that the couple had rented another house in Beverly Hills again. That probably was true – the location of this Hidden Hills house is so far away from the TV studios, I’m sure Sharon got tired of the commute. The couple also rented (or owned) a high rise apartment close to town that Martyn Lawrence Bullard decorated and showed on the Bravo show HERE. Apparently they have moved out of that space too. And now, with Ozzy trying to get sober again, the tabloids say Sharon is staying at a hotel, while yet another house is being redecorated! Hopefully by then Ozzy will be sober and they will reconcile. A few years ago – Sharon and Ozzy sold their two Malibu beach houses and they had a large auction with items from all their houses, including the English mansion. The catalogue is online if you would like to see it. HERE.

As for now, what is known is that the Hidden Hills house has been bought by pregnant Jessica Simpson for her fiancé and baby.

IN OTHER NEWS:

In a follow up to the story about the Texas Legislature, the interior design bill will most likely be heard this Tuesday morning, Senate Business and Commerce Committee, at about 8:30 AM. Those who oppose regulation need you to come out and support this bill!!! If you have the time and feel strongly about this issue, please think about coming to Austin on Tuesday. For more information, email Kelley at

Mimi of “A House Romance” recently interviewed me for her blog. She took a lot of time to post links to my favorite stories and pictures of my house. Would you mind supporting her and visiting her blog to read it??? It would mean a lot to me!

80 comments
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This blog post is proof positive that money and taste are not always acquired in equal measure. After looking at these homes, the thought occurred to me that perhaps the designers had deliberately made a mockery of the Osbournes by the poor, tacky and cheap looking decor because they would not know the difference. There are whore houses that look better than this. Thanks for posting what not to do.

I'm really not loving the Hidden Hills property, and is it foolish for me to think that? I can't place my finger on it, is it too "light" and not enough grounding? There are some things that are lovely (plum velvet sofa in sitting room, mirrored Jansen desk, chandeliers) but it just doesn't come together for some reason. I think you need to work with the architecture of the house and not against it. If it's a "Cape Cod" type of house, then stick with a Nantucket or Southern Coast interior. Yes, I agree with the comment above. You can have money and throw it around but it doesn't always translate into good taste or good decor. The first Bev Hills house was better, and just needed some freshening up to lighten it out of the "dated" Tuscan look. As for Christina Aguilara, seriously? I mean seriously? I've seen better in Las Vegas. That is an abomination. Hideous. Revolting. My head would spin every time I walked into that house.

Thanks Joni for sharing us "Lifestyles of the Rich and Tasteless" You are still the best!

OMG I am speechless....it is almost hard to imagine that Christina's house is not some kind of spoof or bad joke. Boy money truly does not buy taste, there are no words to describe what she has done.....I did love it before and always thought that style and level of taste was so unexpected coming from the hardly conventional Osbourne family! Interesting and a little shocking too what has happened to that house since.......

Will visit your guest post. Thanks for an interesting post this Saturday morning.

I will pass on commenting on Ms. Aguilera's travesty (oh, I guess I just did comment...)

FYI, the fountain shown in front of Welder's House is an exact copy of the fountain in Central Park, at the end of the Great Mall. It is entitled, through a biblical reference, "Bethesda of the Waters" and was designed and erected to commemorate the completion of the Croton Reservoir system, bringing fresh mountain water to NYC and helping to put an end to the cholera epidemics that swept the City each summer. A handsome fountain for a municipal park, especially in it's majestic setting, embraced by two monumental flights of stone stairs and by Central Park's great lake; the question though is, why copy it when I am sure there are so many stately home fountains available at builder's salvage yards across Britain?

Thanks for this. I always LOVED the kitchen and backyard of Sharon & Ozzy's home in Beverly Hills. I used to watch their tv show just to see the interiors of that house! Christina TOTALLY ruined it. Ugh. The Hidden Hills house leaves me cold. I imagine poor Ozzy drunk and falling down that ugly black staircase. Egads - Sharon has had to put up with so much from Ozzy all these years. I hope he can get sober again and stay that way.

It is the decorators who attempted to decorate Christina's house who give reputable decorators a bad name--- you SHOULD publish their names--- they have no right to be protected--- they should loose there license and go directly to jail. Society deserves to have decorators who are deserving of being called a decorator/designer. What does it mean to have a license to decorate when you can take a test and actually PASS it with no more ability to decorate than that-- such gawdy trash !!! As for Martyn Bullard--- really like him personally--- think he is a really sweet person--- but how does he get by without having ANY education at all for anything and the system allows him to work as a designer and architectural digest magazine supports the idea of him being one of the top 100 decorators???? - go figure?? I live in Charlotte North Carolina which is right in the middle of design country ( high Point --- Hickory North Carolina area) I have come to realize at this point that the broad spectrum of acceptance of decorating ability in this country shows the level of intellect ( or lack of) of our consumers --- It is all about money-- otherwise why would someone who calls himself a decorator/designer --- a lot of the time without any education at all be able to charge the level of cost they do--- for the quality results they deliver-- without the CONSUMER being DUMB enough to pay--- The sad reality is that decorators who decorate in the flamboyant tacky style are able to stay in business by attracting a consumer who would not know good taste if it bit them in the butt !!! I truly believe that MONEY in no respecter of Class --- ANYONE can have money ! I think that good taste should be reserved for those of us who know the difference --- there apparently is not enough good taste to go around so don't waste it. The money spent on decorating should also be reserved for the work of great decorators who truly have great taste--- such as -- David Easton --- Charles Faudree--- Scott Snyder --- Dan Carithers, retired --- and Frank Babb Randolph just to mention a few. Thank you Joni for once again giving us a lesson in how design should work -- I always love your blogs- you work so hard to inspire people to try and have a better life -- If only we had enough teachers with good design taste like you where we could require that interior design be taught starting in the third grade with classical music being played in the background at all times and continue thru high school so that good taste could sink in gradually --- I guess that will never happen because there is not enough of Joni Webb to go around. Susan in Charlotte

I also used to watch the reality show to see the house. Loved their old kitchen in Beverly Hills and the rest of the house was a bit over the top but still nicely done. Christina turned the home into a hot mess, yikes! I am usually not a fan of Martin LB designs. He is better at modern and contemporary, which you can tell by her previous home and the new one that it isn't Sharon's style, surprised she hired him... maybe just because of his name? Anyway, the Hidden Hills home has a few nice touches but overall seems cold lacking details. Did you notice there isn't a rug in any room?! I'm thinking it's because of their dogs bathroom issues but, for the AB shoot they should have brought it some rugs to pull the rooms together and cozy them up.

I wonder if Christina Aguilera is happy with the way her design turned out? I am thinking she cannot possibly be and maybe she learned something...but who knows. It would be a great exercise for a design class to take one of those photos and analyze what is wrong with it...there all kinds of design lessons to be mined there...the rooms are totally incoherent visually.

I am not a fan of the MLB rooms in the Hidden Hills home, personally. Don't you think the master bedroom would be better if the ceiling were painted a darker color? The ceiling drives me crazy, it is such a large proportion of the space and it just looks like,a builder grade ceiling in any random modern housing development. It's such a bloodless room. Maybe a rug or rugs? I know, the doggies, but if you can't have rugs, then you should be working more warmth into the above-floor elements of the room, which they did not. It would be like going to sleep in the cold room of a morgue. Oh wait, maybe Ozzie likes that.

The dining room is anemic for me too. It would benefit from a shot of contrast or texture or some warm element worked in somehow? Okay, I just hate the house, I said it. That feels better.

Great post thanks for all the research. I know its beating a dead horse but there is absolutely no accounting for some people's taste. As for the designers, I guess money talks. I am ashamed to say I would expect the tasteless decor to be chosen by Ozzy and not Christina but that is sterotyping on my part. Off to find your guest post. Have a wonderful weekend.

You have the most interesting posts! A good title for this one could be "The pitfalls of money".

I may be the only one on the planet who is seeing the Ozbourne's home(s) for the first time here since I don't watch reality shows. Looking thru the images kind of confirms my opinion that most celebrities are out of touch with reality...compared to my world anyhow ;) I have to agree with most of the comments on the decor...egads! as one noted ;) To each their own but I wouldn't trade my house or it's "average" decor for any of these.

On a positive note, I do hope Ozzy can successfully beat the alcohol and drug demons once and for all.

When you have AD photos....why screw up perfection with BAD STAGING????This is just unforgivable. The real estate photos are horrific. All the Realtor and stager had to do was copy the AD style and go with it.Christina A needs to burn every item in the house and get a crash course on taste.

Saw the Cote email late last night and was looked forward to delving into your post this morning. (I had wasted time yesterday on blog entries that post one paltry pic with a mindless thought or two so I really was looking forward to your usual in depth post) Mother of God! the Christina photos are unbelievable....pleassseee give us a hint of who put that mess together!I wish they would give Martin his own show, love his personality!

I love when you do posts like this, Joni. Someone once shocked me by referring to AD and other so-called shelter magazines as "house porn," but if you think about it, it's really true. No one really lives like that, not even the people whose homes are being showcased. I understand the need to declutter and edit for magazine photographs, but when furniture pieces are brought in from other spaces in the home, or pieces are brought in for the magazine shoot that are not part of what the designer created for the clients at all? And, as a designer, I know it can be frustrating when clients insist on certain things that you just loathe, either because they found them themselves and fancy themselves as designers, or because a piece has special meaning or history for them. And unfortunately, the clients hold the checkbook and if they want something atrocious, you just need to work around it as best as you can (and change it when Architectural Digest comes to take pictures!). So I wonder with Christina Aguilera's décor -- how much better would it look if it was edited, styled, and photographed by the team that shot Martyn's interiors? It still wouldn't be my favorite, but it's not really fair to compare interiors when one is a professional photo shoot and the other is a monstrous real estate photo.

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Omgoodness..What a great read. I have just poured all over these photos and really paid attention to the differences in photos taken by professionals. Thanks for this fabulous post, hopping over to see the interview.Sarah

Was wondering if you ever saw the tv talk show that Sharon hosted for awhile? I only ever saw it once but the design set was A-MAZING. I can remember a gorgeous painted green cupboard and red apples displayed in a tin bucket. I know this sounds tacky but the way it was pulled together....well I would have been happy to have everything on the set in my lounge room!! To this day I couldn't tell you who she interviewed I was too busy devouring the background.

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES - from my 2 1/2 year old niece who is a great fan of your blog - "Yucky" when she saw the entryway as styled for Christina. My niece did not make it through all the photos but she did say, "Wow!" when she saw the bathroom in the Beverly Hills home. Her favorite part seemed to be the large free standing tub next to the fireplace. (I did not have the heart to explain to her how cold that would be even in California.)

Now we are off to Betsy Speert's Blog to continue her education in good design. If she is ever rich and famous, hopeFully, she will have some taste!

Joni, what a fun post to read on this rainy afternoon! I too, was enthralled by the Osborne's house on TV. I adored the kitchen and all the shabby chic things - loved it! I remember one episode where Sharon was getting rid of the flea ridden shabby wicker furniture and cushions. I thought, wow, how much cool used stuff like that I could get if I lived in LA - I could get rid of those fleas! OMG, that Christina A. totally ruined the house. How in the world can anyone have such bad taste and why in the world would any designer do this...I just could not go along with it! Awful. I have seen the Osborne's newer house many times - yes, I love the "styled" dining room and entrance - I liked their old kitchen better -I do love the barn doors, too and the fresh blue color used. It is so interesting what a difference good styling for photo shoots do! I really did not care for the blue doily and the cross bottles and all that stuff - but each to their own. So much fun to read! Thanks!

Joni -Bunny Williams' mirrored bed was featured in House Beautiful a few months ago. It is that feature "Why I love My Bed" or something like that. It was really beautiful - just a one page article that they do each month.

I'm confused about this Hidden Hills house. As you say, the Architectural Digest photos are lovely but extensively cropped so that the more average areas of a room aren't shown. Sometimes I find the house cold and uninviting, like a large track home, the kind that you usually don't like. I know Martyn Lawrence Bullard is close friends with Sharon Osborn, I wonder how he feels when he sees them adding horrible lamps and butchering his work!

Christina Aguillera - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I think you should name and shame those designers.

Wow, who would have ever imagined Ozzy living with chintz? But, geeze, Christina Auilerra- who would ever have imagined she would have such rotten taste- or maybe she just wears excellent blinders?! Sometimes, I guess we see what we want to see and maybe she saw something that worked for her.

Who would have dreamed that Ozzie would have two such amazing houses! Hats off to Sharon and her decorator.

But the next tenant? Egads! What is that rug in the foyer? I love color, too, but come on! It needs to come with a warning to wear sunglasses. Wait, they are in California so the sunglasses are a given.

And my next question, why do celebrities feel they have to move every fifteen minutes? Old Hollywood used to stay put, and that seemed to give them a sense of stability... at least to the public.

If I were a realtor, I would take pictures using the same angles that the magazines, did. Show the room to their best advantage. While some of the shots do that, there are some questionable ones in there. But I enjoyed seeing them contrasted with the magazine shoot. You really go to such trouble to make a post interesting, Joni, and as always, I thank you for that. This was fun.

The highlight for me is the dining room of the new house, as photographed for Martyn's book. Beautiful colors, perfect furniture and lighting.

I appreciate the care and attention that Sharon puts into lighting - most of her chandeliers seem to be antiques, with the standout being the one in the dining room. Since I have been on the hunt for an amazing antique chandelier for 2 years, I have even more of an appreciation for her beautiful selections!

I also love that lavender bedroom, and the chandelier in there.

I always find it interesting to see before and afters, and to see the different perspective of the photographers in particular. Photography is an art, no doubt about it.

About Christina A's place... I kind of "get it". Not that I like it. But I think I understand the look she was going for... a pimped out, bling-bling version of young, hot, female who doesn't take anything too seriously and likes to have a good time.

I seem to remember reading that Christina's house was her absolute dream home, though it would make my head spin to even visit. She seemed to be very "hands on" with the décor, and I think if she loved it, great...it's her place. Sharon's homes by comparison, are more to my taste, and it's very interesting to see how the various photos are set up and cropped. Hidden Hills is a great neighborhood; one of my besties lives there and it's funny to drive through the neighborhood with her. The homes are so incredibly oversized, I can't imagine furnishing and decorating them.

Hated every single room shown in this post. With all their money, the Osbournes could do wayyyy better. The fake Tuscany style house was never in good taste, and the "Cape Cod" house is no better.It's Cape Cod, Contemporary, AND Ranch all thrown in together. This post also shows that Martyn Lawrence Bullard has terrible taste himself! Thanks so much Joni, for another wonderful post!

Joni, another great long post! You do not disappoint. This post is an excellent example of how a talented professional photographer can make just about anything look fabulous. And Miss Aguilerra's home? It is a good example of designing for your client, not your career. We have to give the designers credit for being brave and giving their client what she wanted, the house of her dreams as "French Basketeer" commented. One client's dream is another's nightmare.

Martyn Lawrence Bullard's design, huh... the family room could not be considered designed, it looks like items were grabbed and placed just anywhere they would fit, maybe at a dead run, or maybe for color only,and on top of that it looked, "cheep". And everyone knows it wasn't. The kitchen as well. Did you see the placement of the items on the walls? And the "design" of the room? The den wasn't much better, rather blah. We expect a lot more from someone who carries the name MARTYN LAWRENCE BULLARD. I doubt, you would have liked them much, had the rooms not carried his name. T

Oh my gosh, thank you for this Joni! I watched this show religiously because I loved that kitchen! I was completely fascinated with that Eiffel tower on the island and thought it was just the greatest thing ever. I would love to have that kitchen in my house now! Really dislike all the new stuff. Just doesn't have that homey feel the original house did.

I love the Beverly hills house that Christina A ruined ....and she did.... I would LOVE to see pictures of the house in England. I recalled seeing some of it on the show, but couldn't find the tapes of those shows to watch again.

Being fully aware that you spent a lot of time researching this post, I am almost reluctant to make this comment. Can we move on to something more challenging, creative and inspiring. This is simply the dregs of interior design and hence, the absence of conversation. I know you meant well Joni, but this is probably the worst post you have put up since I have been reading your blog. Can we please move on? You are much too talented to have ever dignified these designs by posting them on your blog. This is not your average homeowner who might not know better, these are people who could have afforded the best in the business and yet the overall affect is a decor disaster. Martin BOOLARD, as he is want to say needs to tuck his tails and take a brief hiatus and learn a few basics. I suppose when your head is full of cocaine and pot; however, one might not know good design from bad.

My husband and I traveled to LA twice shortly after The Osbourne's show became popular, and we made it a point to drive past their Beverly Hills home both times. My husband was an Ozzy fan when he was younger and my sister (who traveled with us and was a teenager at the time) wanted to catch a glimpse of Jack. It was surprisingly easy to drive right up to their home. The house and grounds, complete with devil head on the outer gate, were lovely. Sadly, we didn't see any Osbournes, but we had a great time and took some fun pictures in front of the house.

I love the Beverly hills house that Christina A ruined ....and she did.... I would LOVE to see pictures of the house in England. I recalled seeing some of it on the show, but couldn't find the tapes of those shows to watch again.

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Hi, I’m Joni Webb. I believe in beautiful homes, gracious style, and timeless decorating. Cote de Texas is the place where I record my interior observations as a writer. I also accept limited design commissions within the Houston, Texas area.

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